Update Jan 2020: I’ve found an even better BB/CC cream, featured as a favorite in my comprehensive natural sunscreen guide.
And follow me on Instagram @mindfulglowguide for the latest and greatest 🙂
The first illuminating primer I bought was at Target almost 10 years ago. I don’t remember the brand – it’s one they no longer carry – but I remember the tub was lavender (one of my favorite colors) and the primer was perfection: It wasn’t heavily scented and it provided the perfect opalescent glow under my makeup or mixed in with my foundation.
This was before BB creams and CC creams were the hottest thing on the planet. I loved discovering something that could help blur my many imperfections (melasma, hyperpigmentation, dark spots AND vitiligo) and mix will with my liquid foundation.
Stila Stay All Day Illuminating HD 10 in 1 Beauty Balm with SPF 30 Review
A few years ago I found a new favorite: Stila Stay All Day Illuminating Beauty Balm with SPF 30. This 10 in 1 beauty balm definitely gives a nice blurring effect and sheen and works well underneath – but especially mixed in with – liquid full coverage foundation. Why 10 in 1? Stila has a whole list of why but it’s really just a fancy way of saying it uses “microspheres” and “antioxidants” to protect skin and impart a radiant glow.
It definitely smells like sunscreen because it does contain chemical sunscreen. Once you switch to wearing mostly natural zinc oxide mineral sunscreen, you can’t stand the sunscreeny scent of chemical sunscreens any more. It does have added fragrance/parfum – which I don’t like in any product – but really the chemical sunscreen is what you will smell most.
If you don’t have pigmentation issues like me – a nice BB cream could be all you need! (or even better, a CC cream). I really like the color shade of this illuminating BB cream. It is paraben free and if you have oily skin you would like that it is oil free and fairly water resistant. This formula blends well and I liked this better than Urban Decay Naked Skin Beauty Balm.